Published On 4/27/2026
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Last update: 06:16 (Mecca time)
Units of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard found unexploded American missiles and thousands of small bombs in the Hormozgan province in the south of the country, according to what was reported by the Iranian Press TV channel.
The channel reported – citing the Imam Sajjad Corps of the Revolutionary Guard – that it neutralized more than 15 heavy American missiles, noting that these munitions were “transferred to technical and research units” with the aim of “reverse engineering” them.
The Ansar al-Mahdi Corps – based in Zanjan, northwest of the country – also announced that its bomb disposal teams were able to collect more than 9,500 small bombs throughout the governorate.
The Iranian channel’s report stated: “A GBU-57 bunker-busting bomb was successfully dismantled and was handed over to the competent authorities.”
A shift in the nature of the conflict
In a related context, reports and analyzes – published in British and American newspapers over the past few days – revealed a qualitative shift in the nature of the confrontation between the United States and Iran, as the conflict was no longer limited to direct military engagement, but rather extended to more complex arenas that included military technology and ammunition depletion, as well as reshaping the balance of deterrence in the region.
A report by the British website “IPaper” quoted former analysts at the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as saying that there are fears that Iran will succeed in recovering and examining advanced American and Israeli weapons that did not explode, or fell on the battlefields.
Analysts pointed out that Tehran is currently engaged in “reverse engineering” operations for missiles such as the Tomahawk, Reaper drones, Jassm missiles, and GBU-57 bunker-busting bombs, with the aim of understanding their structure or developing local alternatives to them.
Analysts believe – according to the report – that the most dangerous thing lies not only in Iran’s own efforts, but also in the possibility of it obtaining technical support from Russia and China, which may open the door to revealing secrets related to guidance, jamming, and concealment systems.
Iranian arsenal
In an analysis published by The Guardian newspaper, Dan Sabbagh – defense and security editor – wrote that the American escalation did not achieve its strategic goals of curbing Iranian capabilities.
Sabagh quoted intelligence estimates that the intensive air strikes destroyed only part of the Iranian arsenal, while about half of the stock of missiles and drones is still effective and capable of threatening navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
In another analysis published by The Guardian, Professor Fawaz Girgis believed that the war led by the Donald Trump administration against Iran represents a “strategic mistake,” as it has led to adverse results.
Girgis pointed out that Tehran emerged from the confrontation more confident in its capabilities, benefiting from its ability to threaten the energy corridors in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, which gave it a pressure tool whose influence exceeds its nuclear program.
The United States and Israel began a war on Iran on February 28, leaving more than 3,000 people dead, before Washington and Tehran announced – on April 8 this year – a temporary truce with Pakistani mediation, which was extended in the hope of reaching an agreement to end the war.
